D'Angelo Russell of the Golden State Warriors and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers became the first players Friday to score 50 points on the same day in nearly 14 years, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Russell scored a career-high 52 points on 19-of-37 shooting in his Warriors' road game against the Minnesota Timberwolves:
D-Lo BALLED OUT.
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 9, 2019
Career-high 52 points in Minnesota 💦 pic.twitter.com/4mTgm41irJ
Later, Lillard scored a career-high 60 points on 19-of-33 shooting against the Brooklyn Nets:
Dame is a walking bucket ⌚️
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 9, 2019
He dropped a career-high 60 points tonight! pic.twitter.com/yX1cKKaj4b
The last players to score 50 on the same night were Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson and then-New Jersey Net wing Vince Carter on Dec. 23, 2005.
However, despite the superlative individual performances by the star guards, both Russell and Lillard lost Friday night. The Timberwolves beat Russell's Warriors 125-119 in overtime and Lillard's Trail Blazers fell to the Nets 119-115.
It's only the second time in league history that two players have scored 50 or more in losing efforts on the same day.
Today is the 2nd day in NBA history in which there have been multiple 50-point scorers and both lost. (D'Angelo Russell and Damian Lillard).
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 9, 2019
The other was April 9, 1978: David Thompson (73) & George Gervin (63) in their famous last-day duel for the scoring title. pic.twitter.com/ATbePWwnop